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Pets mean so much to us. They offer us love and companionship. They share
our homes, our lives, and find a place in our hearts. They are with us through our good times and our bad times.
They are more than "just an animal," they are family members.
Unfortunately our pets get in accidents,
contract diseases, and have illnesses that threaten their lives. They also grow old. When you have done all you
can for your pet, you face the decision to either make them as comfortable as you can until their life ends naturally, or
to end their suffering with euthanasia. Some questions to consider are:
- Is there a reasonable chance for a cure? for comfort?
- How much additional time might treatment give? What will the quality of that time be?
- Do I have the financial and emotional resources to handle long-term medical care if it is required?
- Will I have the necessary physical and emotional stamina? (Getting up at night, preparing
special food, giving shots, etc)?
- Is the relationship with my pet changing
or decreasing in quality as I anticipate this loss?
- How many of my pet's
usual activities are still possible?
- Is my pet suffering even though
physical pain is not evident?
- What do I think my pet would want?
- What is my personal bottom line - what am I unable to tolerate and / or live with?
- Think of yourself ahead in time and ask, "How will I look back and remember this experience?"
When your pet is suffering or has a severly diminished quality of life and you decide it is time
to euthanize, you are doing what you believe is best for your pet. It is a difficult decision to make. Once you
have decided it is time, there are choices available for you so you can make the euthanasia as special and as soothing as
possible. Whenever possible, try to make your choices in advance. What to expect during the procedure
Doctor will
start by giving your pet a sedative injection to reduce stress and relax them. He may need to shave a little window
of hair off the leg in order to access the vein. It will take about 10 minutes for the sedative to work. Then
he will administer the euthanasia injected into the vein. Your pet will pet pass immediately, and painlessly.
The Doctor will then examine your pet to make sure he has passed. You may notice involuntary twitches, or release
of bladder and bowels. These are normal once your pet has passed and are not inidicators that your pet is in pain
or stress.
Decide who, if anyone, will be present
If you
would like to be present for the euthanasia we would need to set up an appointment time, preferably when the office
is not busy and you will not have to wait. We know this is a very difficult thing to go through and want to help you
through it as best we can. You may choose to be present for the entire procedure, or you may choose to be present up
until the time Doctor is ready to administer the euthanasia injection. Still you may choose to wait in the waiting area
until the procedure is completed. Once your pet has passed you may spend as much time with them as you need.
You are welcome to have anyone with you that you want. They may go into the exam room with you or wait for you
in the waiting area. Children may be present if you feel they are old enough and mature enough to handle it. If
you will be alone, consider asking a friend or another family member to drive you home.
You also have the option
of saying all your goodbyes at home and dropping off your pet for euthanasia. We understand you may want to remember
your pet in their better moments at home. Please be assured that if you drop off your pet you are not abandoning
them. We will take good care of them and attend to the euthanasia as soon as possible. They will not be permitted
to lay in a cage all day.
We will try accomodate reasonable requests concerning euthanasia. The process can
be done outisde on a blanket in our yard, or in the back of your vehicle.
Be sure to ask any questions
you may have. There are no "stupid" or silly questions. This is your pet, your family member, and we
are here to be of service to you and to your pet.
Options for handling your pet's
remains
You may choose to take them home for burial. You may want to bury your pet with a special
blanket, or in a special box. A grave should be a minimum of 3 feet deep to keep the remains from being dug up by children
or other animals. Be sure to check local laws.
You may choose to have your pet cremated. For an
individual cremation your pet's cremains will be returned to you in a very nice container or there
are urns available. For a group cremation your pet's cremains will be interred at Pet Rest, a family owned
and operated facility in Ossian, IN (20 miles south of Fort Wayne). Their pet cemetary (for interring group
cremation remains) has a lake, flower gardens and evergreens, creating a perfect resting place for your pet. Each garden
is identified with a yearly marker to enable you to locate the site in which your pet rests. They welcome visits to
the cemetary by appointment. Please call our office for additional information or you can visit their website at http://www.petrestinc.com/.  Check the local phone book for additional listings of pet cemetaries and crematories.
Field of Sleep Pet Memorial Park is just outside Auburn, IN and their phone number is (260) 475-5870. Pet Cremation
Center in Fort Wayne offers only individual cremations and their phone number is (260) 482-6139.
Autopsy
If your pet died suddenly and the cause is unknown, you may want to have an autopsy done. An autopsy
needs to be performed as soon after death as possible. Twelve hours after death the tissue samples could be questionable.
If, however, the animal is kept cold (ie: put in a freezer) the tissues may be ok up to 24 hours after death.
Saying Goodbye and / or Memorializing Your Pet
Everyone needs to say goodbye in their
own way. You may choose to do it at home where you can take your time and have the opportunity to give
some last caring attention to your pet as you say farewell to them. Each member of your family may want
a few minutes alone with your pet. Friends may even want to stop by and say goodbye. You can take a final
picture of your pet, of your family with your pet.
The grief you feel at the loss of your pet is normal.
Your pet brought a lot of happiness and good times to you and your family. Remembering them in a special way helps you
to move through the grief process.
There are many ways to honor your pet and the relationship
you shared. - Take a few moments of respectful silence
- Look at pictures and talk about your pet.
- Take a day off work if your grief
requires it.
- Write a eulogy or compose a poem about what your pet meant to you.
- Hold a funeral or memorial service for your pet. There is a Graveside Prayer at the end
of this page.
- Make a memorial donation to the local SPCA or animal shelter or Purdue Veterinary
School. Cedar Creek Veterinary Clinic makes donations to Christian Veterinary Missions in memory of deceased pets.
Children and Pet Loss
The death of a pet may be a child's first experience with death. Don't be afraid to face it with
them as there are life lessons you can teach them. Be honest with them, telling them what is appropriate for their age.
Children 5 years of age and under tend to see death as a temporary state. Someone is dead for a little bit and
then they come back to life.
Children 5 - 9 begin to understand the permanence of death, but don't think it
happens to all living things.
At about age 10 children have the emotional and mental ability to understand the
finality of death and what that means.
Using words your child can understand, explain to them the condition
of your pet. They need to understand that this is a natural process and they did not do anything to cause their pet
to be this way. Reassure them that they took good care of and loved the pet. Explain what is going
to happen to the pet. Euthanasia is a quick, gentle death. The Doctor will give the pet an injection that will
make them unconscious and their breathing and heart will stop. Avoid the phrase "put to sleep" as it might
cause misunderstanding and terror in small children. A better phrase is "helped to die."
Discuss
with your child what will be done with their pet's body. This will help them understand the reality of death and
give them involvement in an important family decision.
Children need to move through the grief process. Talk
to them about their feelings and help them deal with them. Be open about your own sadness so they will know they are
ok to feel as they do and feel more at ease to talk about it. Encourage them to be creative and write a story, a song,
or make a scrapbook about their pet. Talk with them about how good it has been for their pet to have been a part of
your family and how they will always have memories of their pet.
Be sensitive to your child as you decide when
to get a new pet. Children can feel like they are betraying the deceased pet by loving a new pet. They may also
misunderstand that if a pet can be easily replaced so might they.
Surviving Pets
Pets are aware when another pet in the household is gone.
They grieve for the missing pet, too. You can ease their stress by giving them special, individualized attention at
this time. They may whimper, their appetite may decrease, they may walk around looking for the deceased pet. Be
patient and understanding with them and know this is not a good time to introduce a new pet into the household.
Questions you may have
The doctor and staff can discuss the euthanasia procedure with
you and answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to ask any questions or voice any concerns you may have.
We also have a lending library of books that may help you or your children deal with the death of a pet.
Resources
for Pet Loss and Bereavement:
- Cornell Feline Health Center Pet Loss Support Hotline is staffed by cat loving, veterinary students.
Their number is (607) 253-3932 and is available 6pm - opm EST Tuesday through Thursday. Their webiste is http://www.vet.cornell.edu/org/petloss/about.htm
- Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, Center
for Human-Animal Bond has information on Pet Loss and Grief at their website http://www.purdue.edu/chab/loss.htm
- Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine has a Pet Loss Hotline
at 517-432-2696 and is available 6:30pm-9:30pm EST Tuesday through Thursday. Their website is http://cvm.msu.edu/alumni-friends/information-for-animal-owners/pet-
loss-support/pet-loss-support-hotline/
- University of
California at Davis Pet Loss Hotline has been discontinued due to budget cuts. There are, however, resources for Pet
Loss on their Center for Campion Animal webpage at http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/CCAB/petloss.html
- Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine has a Pet Loss Support Hotline
at 888-478-4574 that is staffed by trained pre-veterinary and veterinary students 6-9pm CST seven days a week (September -
April) and 6-9pm CST Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (May - August). Their website is http://vetmed.iastate.edu/medical-center/community-practice/animal-loss-support/resources/isu-vmc-resources
- The Delta Society has posted on their website Pet Loss and Bereavement Suport Hotlines
/ Telephone Support. Their website is www.deltasociety.org
- The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) National Pet Loss Hotline is 877-474-3310 and
their website is www.aspca.org/pet-care/pet-loss.
- The
Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement has a webpage at http://www.aplb.org
- The Pet Loss Support Group of Indiana meets in Indianapolis on the second Saturday from 2-4pm.. For more information
call Corrine at 317-898-1051 or e-mail her at oakhall13@cs.com. Their website is inpetloss.org.
Pet Loss Support Group in Fort Wayne, IN
Meets the 1st Thursday of each month
from 7:30pm - 8:30pm
at 222 N. Thomas Road in Fort Wayne, IN
Please
call 260-432-5031 for more information
Their websie is www.pawsandremember.com/support/grief/
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A Graveside Prayer
Dear Ones,
We have gathered here today to express our love for our faithful friend and companion,
(Name), as we lay (him/her) to rest.
We thank God, the Creator of all life, for the years we were privileged to
enjoy our friend, and for the happy memories (he/she) gave us. Each of us can recall some loveable way (he/she) endeared
(himself/herself) to us. (Pause for moments of reminiscence)
These happy memories should gladden our hearts
for many years. (Name) has fulfilled the purpose for which God gave (him/her) to our family. (He/she) shared our
laughter and our tears, our moods and our meals, our walks and our talks. Now, from grateful hearts, we give (him/her)
back to God who gave (him/her) to us to love and cherish.
Rest in peace, little friend. Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us (Name) to love and care for. Now that (his/her) life among us is
over, we give (him/her) back to You, who gave (him/her) life and breath.
We are grateful for all (his/her) endearing
traits, and for the ways (he/she) brought happiness into our home and laughter into our lives. Grant us pleasant memories
of this dear friend who shared our family life and gave us happy years. Good-bye, faithful friend.
Amen
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